Aussie director chosen to helm 'Black Widow' spin-off

Aussie Director Cate Shortland has reportedly been selected to helm the “Black Widow” spin-off movie. The project propels her into the big league. The film will mark the first solo picture for Scarlett Johansson in the titular role.

The priority was to select a female director, but at one point they almost gave up. According to a report by TheHollywoodReporter, Marvel spent about six months and interviewed around 70 directors before selecting Shortland to helm the project.

Marvel zeroed in on directors Maggie Bets, Amma Asante, Melanie Laurent, Kimberly Peirce, and Shortland. The final race was among Bets, Asante, and Shortland, and the Aussie director was chosen in the end.

One of the reasons for Shortland’s selection was that Johansson recommended her. The actress reportedly is a fan of the Aussie director’s work, and particularly liked how the director handled the lead character in her film “Lore.”

“Lore” is a 2012 film about a woman who leads her siblings through a war ravaged Germany. Set towards the end of World War II, Lore (Saskia Rosendahl) has to rely on a refugee, which tests her beliefs of hate taught by her parents.

Some of the other films that Shortland has directed are “Berlin Syndrome,” and “Somersault.” She has also directed episodes of TV shows “The Secret Life of Us” and “Bad Cop, Bad Cop.”

Jac Schaeffer wrote the most recent draft of the script of “Black Widow.” Johansson is the only confirmed cast member of the movie at this point in time. This is a prequel movie, and the plot will be set just before the events in the first “Avengers” movie.

An exact release date for “Black Widow” hasn’t been announced yet. More details about the plot, cast, and when the movie will be out may be announced in the coming months.